Vegetable-cutter



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN CALDWELL, SE, OF OHILLIOOTHE, OHIO.

VEGETABLE-CUTTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN CALDWELL, Sr., of Ohillicothc, in the county of Ross and State of Ohio,.have invented new and useful Improvements in Vegetable-Gutters; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The present invention consists in inserting within the platform of the vegetable-cutter, over which the vegetables to be out are passed, and in the direction of its length, a series of parallel vertical knives or blades in connection with a horizontal transverse knife extending entirely across its width, in regard to which knife the platform can be adjusted at pleasure, so as to increase or decrease the opening between them. The longitudinal knife-blades I arrange in such a manner that they can be easily detached from the platform when desired, as will be presently fully described.

In accompanying plate of drawings my improvements are represented, Figure 1 being a plan or top view; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudillal section taken in the plane of the line at m, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a detail view to behereinafter referred to.

a a in the drawings represent a platform, divided into two parts,b and c, one of which, b, is hung by one end to and between the upright parallel bars cl d on a cross-shaft, f, of the same, and so as to freely turn, and the other is permanently fastened in any proper manner to and between them, leaving a space, g, between the inner end of the same and that of the movable piece b, over which space, and extending to, or nearly to, the end of the piece I), is a cross-knife blade, h, secured by screws l l to and upon and flush with the upper surface of the fixedportion 0.

Under the platform a, and moving in horizontal grooves n n of the side bars, at d, is a sliding block, 0, which, being moved toward or from the fixed portion 0 of the platform, under the movable portion b thereof, raises or lowers the same to or from the knife-blade It, thus correspondingly decreasing and increasing the opening 12 between them, according as it is desired to cut or slice the material passed over the platform, as will be hereinafter described, into thin or thick pieces.

At or near the inner end of the movable part of the platform is inserted a block, 0', having a series of parallel knife-blades, s s s s, secured thereto and projecting from its upper surface in the direction of the length of the platform, and extending entirely across the same or any portion of its width, according as may be deemed most desirable. This knife-block is so arranged within the platform as to be easily detached therefrom, and a plain block, t, (seen in Fig. 3,) inserted, of similar shape, the blocks in each case being flush with the platform a.

u is a hollow frame, made of a square shape, and moving upon the side bars of the platform in grooves o c of the same, in which the material to be cut is first placed,and then the cover to placed in it and upon the same, as seen in Fig. 2, when the box-frame is moved forward and backward upon the bars and over the knives .sand knife-blade h, the cover 10, by pressing down upon it with the hand, keeping the material in close contact with the platform, thereby cutting and slicing the material in the same into strips, which pass through the space 19 between the cross-knife and the end of the movable piece b, dropping into any suitable receptacle under the same for them.

When desired only to cut the material into slices, the knife-block r can be removed from the platform and the plain block t inserted in the place thereof, the movable part b of the platform being adjusted by means of the sliding block 0 under it, so as to increase or decrease the thickness of the slices to be cut at pleasure, the material being then placed in the box and moved forward and backwardupon the platform over its cross-knife, as hereinbefore described.

The cutting device above'descrihed, it is apparent, may be used for cutting various substances or materials, such as meats and vegetables of many kinds, a few of which are potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, and turnips, and also for fruits, as apples, pears, 8:0.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The arrangement of the platform a, with its horizontal knife h and removable knife-block s r, the latter for optional use in combination with the former, as described.

'JOHN CALDWELL, SR. Witnesses:

JOHN QUIGLEY, SAMUEL CHAPMAN. 

